With the minister facing a reduced departmental budget, he has maintained that Northern Ireland cannot continue to fund the UK’s highest level of legal aid pay.

But lawyers have taken industrial action in response to the cuts, withdrawing professional services in criminal cases as part of the protest.

Well over 500 criminal cases are currently unable to proceed due to the dispute.

Judicial review proceedings were launched by the Bar Council and the Law Society.

They argued that the two professional bodies are being denied fair or reasonable payment, and that the cuts could result in innocent defendants being convicted.

An allegedly flawed impact assessment, consultation process and statistical comparative analysis renders the rules unlawful, according to their case.

Mr Justice Maguire held that no ministerial irrationality had been established.

He also rejected claims that consultation was carried out with a preordained outcome.

The meeting on Monday night received unanimous endorsement for the decision of the Bar Council to appeal against the judgment.

Barristers also voted unanimously to maintain the stance of refusing to appear in the Crown Court in any case governed by the 2015 Rules.

Proposals set out in a letter from the minister last week were rejected on the basis that they do not constitute a realistic attempt to resolve the dispute.

According to the legal profession they provided no framework for ensuring that criminal practitioners representing defendants in the Crown Court receive fair and adequate remuneration for complex and demanding work.